Fees and Regulations

None

Driving Directions

From Portland, drive east on I-84 for more than 50 miles to Exit #55, signed for the Starvation Creek State Park and rest area. The rest area features good parking, with normally enough room for both visiting freeway travelers and hikers planning to park for a while. The rest area is not a remote location, but it is freeway-side, so as always take due caution with your property and leave nothing of value in your car.

There's no westbound exit to the Starvation Creek Rest Area, so drivers from the east (Hood River) will need to continue to Herman Creek Road and double back. Similarly, when leaving the rest area westbound drivers (Portland) will need to drive east on I-84 for about a mile and take the Viento exit, which leads to an underpass and then an I-84 on-ramp to Portland.

Be aware that the two primary hiking trails at this location (Starvation Ridge and Mt. Defiance) do not begin within the state park area by the restrooms and Starvation Creek Falls (walking east leads to Viento State Park along the historic highway), but instead require walking west, back alongside the freeway, outside the jersey barriers. It may seem odd at first, but this route soon turns into a shaded, paved, and then dirt path offering close approaches to Cabin Creek Falls and Hole in the Wall Falls. The Starvation Cutoff Trail also descends to this lower walk-in section. Continue a short distance uphill to find the 'T' junction between the Starvation Ridge and Mt. Defiance trails.

Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.